Upper Nazareth police OK $7,000 raises over 3 years

Township officials say officers deserve more for increased work.

Upper Nazareth Township police officers have accepted a new contract from the Board of Supervisors that will raise each officer's annual pay $7,000 over the next three years.

Richard Suppan, the attorney who represented the force, praised the supervisors, saying they recognized that the officers deserved more money because they are fielding more and more calls because of township population increases.

"They recognized that we were way behind in a lot of ways," Suppan said.

The new contract, which runs from 2004 through 2006, provides for raises of $2,000 the first year and $2,500 the following two years. It increases the maximum salary for a patrolman from about $35,000 to $37,500.

Despite the raises, the township's six full-time officers are the lowest paid in the area, Suppan said. The maximum patrolman's salary for Forks Township, for instance, is now $44,500. The maximum for Moore Township is $42,000.

"At least we're moving in the right direction," said Supervisors Chairwoman Carol Keller. "Our guys deserve it. Nobody wants to be at the bottom. It was important to us that our police felt that we stand behind them."

Police officers had been working without a contract since December.

Suppan said officers responded to about 300 more calls in 2003 than they did in 2002. He said those statistics illustrate that new residents in the township are creating more work for the force.

In addition to the raises, the contract also gives the officers more longevity pay. In the past, township officers received a flat rate of $400 after five years of service. Now, officers will receive $500 to $2,000 for this contract; the amount depends on how long they have been with the force.

The contract also will pay more per hour for less desirable shifts, 50 cents for the middle shift and 65 cents for the night shift, Suppan said.